Tim Ray & The Specialist Group, Inc. - Spokane Real Estate Since 1988

06/02/2026

This May closed sale was a little bittersweet. I have done 5 transactions with this client over the last 30+ years. Sometimes, life happens... I sold them this home, brand new, in 2019, just before the market went bonkers, so they did pretty well on it.

After 38 years in the Spokane real estate market, my business is based on repeat clients and referrals, and I am grateful for each and every one.

06/02/2026

This was another fantastic May closing, and a home that my buyers absolutely love! Sitting on nearly 4 acres of ground with incredible gardens, fruit trees, berry bushes, 2 chicken houses with a large enclosed area, and completely fenced property. It is a 1999 built two story in the Chattaroy area with a neat floor plan, a second kitchen in the daylight walkout basement, and much more. This was no "cookie cutter" home!

06/02/2026

A few recent closings! I love working with first time home buyers. They can be a lot of work, but they are usually a lot of fun. 🙂

On this purchase, we were choosing between 120 year old homes in "less than average" neighborhoods that needed work and were very energy inefficient, or, thanks to a 3.75% builder special first time buyer mortgage, we were able to find my client a brand new 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom townhome with a 2 car attached garage, a super energy efficient home with triple pane windows that meets the latest energy codes, which was perfect for a young lady just starting out. Heck yeah!!!

05/14/2026

NEW LISTING! Check out this great Woodridge 4 Level with NO HOA! This is a neat floor plan, and in this price range, it offers a rare 3BR 2BA up! In fact, this is currently the least expensive home in all of Woodridge! Offered at just $399,950!

The living room features vaulted ceilings, huge windows, and laminate floors. A wood burning fireplace partially separates it from the kitchen and dining area. The island kitchen includes all appliances and has a large pantry, plus access to the deck, while the dining area will easily fit family gatherings.

Upstairs you will find 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. The spacious primary suite has a walk in closet plus a 3/4 bath with beautiful tile work. The other two bedrooms are both nice sized, and one of those also has a walk in closet.

Heading downstairs, the third level has a large family room (could be used as a 4th BR) and laundry with half bath. The lowest (4th) level has a bonus room plus the mechanical/storage room.

The home sits on an oversized .26 acre lot, and has a deck and a patio with a small sport court. There is a 2 car attached garage with opener, a newer 96% high efficiency Carrier gas furnace, central AC, lots of fresh interior paint and some new trim, and more!

This home is priced to sell "as is" at $399,950, but should have no problems going FHA or VA. This is a wonderful home in a fantastic neighborhood for the money! (Some photos are virtually staged.)

$399,950, 3 beds, 2.5 baths, 2137 sq ft - Contact Tim Ray, Owner/Broker, The Specialist Group, Inc., Kelly Right Real Estate, 509.217.7823 Cell for more information.

05/01/2026

Price Reduced to just $309,950! Check out this extensively updated property on North Ruby Street in Spokane, Washington! This 4+BR, 1.5BA home is offered fully furnished and is perfect as a single family home for anyone needing easy access to public transportation, a single family rental property, room rentals (which are in huge demand), traveling nurses, college kids, a short term furnished rental, or?

The home has new white shaker kitchen with stainless steel appliances and quartz countertops, updated baths, new flooring and paint, and more. The main floor has 1BR, an office (no closet), a large living/dining area with fireplace, a large foyer, and the beautiful kitchen. Upstairs there are 3 bedrooms, all with walk-in closets, and a full bath. The finished basement has a nice half bath, family room, an exercise room, and laundry. It could potentially be a private suite by adding a shower. There is also a deck and a small fenced yard, perfect for raised bed gardens. The driveway will accommodate up to 4 vehicles (tandem).

This home is within walking or bike distance to Gonzaga and Great Northern University, and it's on a bus route. Lots of stores and restaurants close by. Zoned GC-70, which allows for a variety of commercial, office, and residential uses. It would be a fantastic home/office property with high visibility. WSDOT says the average daily traffic count is 23,000 vehicles. The property was designed to be a group home, but the zoning allows for much more.

This is a very unique property with lots of potential uses, and would be a great investment! For more information or a private tour, call Tim today!

$309,950, 4 beds, 2 baths, 2234 sq ft - Contact Tim Ray, Owner/Broker, The Specialist Group, Inc., Kelly Right Real Estate, 509.217.7823 Cell for more information.

04/23/2026

This is interesting. The state of Washington has passed a law banning the "pre marketing" of real estate listings. It is now illegal to even send out an email to prospective buyers about a new listing. It is already a violation for a broker to even post a "coming soon" blurb on social media more than 24 hours before a new listing becomes public. We can get a nastygram and even get fined for that by our local Association of Realtors. Heck, it is a violation if your yard sign is installed more than 24 hours before the listing goes public, which is a pain since we can't always control when a sign and post go up once we order them.

This new law would seem to clash with the Zillow "Preview Listing" option, where properties can show up on Zillow and Trulia before that listing actually goes "live" in the local MLS. By the way, Zillow sucks. They are the mafia of real estate web portals. 🤬
Here are some of the Impacts of the New "No Pre-Marketing of Real Estate in Washington."

"Washington State has become among the first states in the nation to ban private real estate listings. The move comes as larger firms were building “private listings networks” that prevented access by all REALTORS. The law, Senate Bill 6091, prohibits real estate brokers from marketing properties to exclusive groups of brokers or prospective buyers unless the property is simultaneously marketed to the general public. Listings that could threaten the owner’s health or safety would be exempt from the law’s implementation. Under the new law, each violation is counted as a professional conduct infraction under state professional conduct guidelines, meaning brokers would earn a fine of up to $500 per violation and risk revocation of their license."

“Private listings make Washington’s housing market less fair for buyers and renters who are already struggling to compete,” said State Sen. Marko Liias, (D). “This bill would ensure buyers and renters can consider all available properties when they’re looking for a place to call home.”

The law was a hot topic at the Washington REALTOR’s recent Spring Conference, because it essentially changes the way real estate is done in Washington. It would eliminate all pre-marketing activities, even with something so simple as advance listings inside brokerages. (This would seem to include telling brokers inside your own brokerage, such as at a sales meeting, about a new listing a broker has coming up.)

"As we engaged in conversations about the impact of exclusive or private listing networks, we recognized that restricting information to consumers about housing opportunities is contrary to consumer protection,” said Ryan Beckett, president of the Washington Realtors.

The law goes into effect June 11, 2026. Washington REALTORS will be taking the lead in the coming months on making sure brokers understand the impacts of the new law.

04/15/2026

Now Pending!

04/07/2026

This is quite interesting... Crypto Just Entered the Mortgage Chat. Check this out and tell me what you think!

Fannie Mae announced it will now accept crypto-backed mortgages through a new partnership between Better Home & Finance and Coinbase. Borrowers can pledge Bitcoin or USDC as collateral for a (second) loan that covers their down payment, all while keeping ownership of their crypto and avoiding capital gains taxes. This is the first time the government-sponsored enterprise has backed a product like this.

"The goal of the product is also to help those who might be crypto-rich but cash-poor. The homebuyer would take out a traditional 15 or 30-year mortgage but instead of making down payment in cash, they would take out a separate loan backed by their Bitcoin or Stablecoin holdings. This new offering would allow them to hold on to their crypto and not have to sell it and pay capital gains taxes. The downside is that the second loan would increase the overall cost of homeownership since the buyer would also have to service that second loan."

About 13% of younger buyers have already sold crypto to fund down payments, according to a Redfin survey. This could expand the buyer pool, particularly among younger, tech-forward clients.

Digital assets are making a jump to the mainstream during a troubled time for the sector.

04/02/2026

Hot new listing!! (Note: Virtual Tour is in the first comment below...)

Check out this gorgeous 1 owner Colbert rancher! Built in 2019, this 1801 sq ft one level 3+BR 2BA home offers a huge "great room" floor plan, plus it has a formal living or flex room in front of the home! Beautiful white island kitchen with slab granite counters, stainless steel appliances (all stay!), single bowl undermount sink, and eating bar.

The spacious primary suite features a walk-in closet and private full bath and walk in closet. There are 2 more nice sized bedrooms and a second full bath as well. Plus, there is a den/office (no window or closet) on top of that! Main floor laundry/mud room with storage cabinets and access to the 2 car attached garage, and the washer and dryer stay.

The home has very nice finishes throughout, including 9ft or higher ceilings (plus vaulted ceilings), granite countertops, fully tiled shower enclosures, white doors and larger trim, custom Venetian plaster paint finish in the entry and great room accent wall, and more! This is not a cookie cutter "spec home".

Out back is a large covered patio and a deep, fenced yard with trees and a hillside to reduce road noise and to provide more privacy. Gas heat, central air, and Rinnai tankless hot water. Surprisingly low utility bills, too. The highest Avista elec/gas bill in the last year was $165! NO HOA or CCR's! Priced below assessed value! Offered at just $435,000.

For more details or a private showing, call Tim at 509.217.7823, or call your Buyer's Agent today!

07/25/2025

We just successfully closed the sale on this beautiful Spokane Valley rancher! If you are thinking about selling, or buying, and would like to have a no obligation chat about the process or what services I provide, give me a call! 509.217.7823